A$AP Rocky

Long.Live.A$AP (Sony)

Harlem globetrotter A$AP Rocky returns with Long.Live.A$AP, the follow-up to his critically lauded and commercially hyped Live.Love.A$AP mixtape. As far as debut albums go, the young Rakim Mayers doesn’t disappoint. Featuring the creme de la creme of hip hop’s new school of eclectic wunderkinds, A$AP gains support from the likes of Danny Brown, Kendrick Lamar and Degrassi alum Drake, who delivers a pair of uncharacteristically aggressive verses on lead single “Fuckin’ Problems.” At times, A$AP’s own presence proves to be a bit too much. Bangarang bass banger Skrillex’s “Wild for the Night” is a throwaway joint that sounds like a bottle of Mountain Dew Code Red being dropped on an Alienware laptop. But even with a few uncharacteristic tracks, Live.Love.A$AP’s witch house-inspired gloom perfectly compliments the 24-year-old rapper’s expressive rhymes.